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Expert: Lobbying by Konstantin Zatulin and similar persons does not meet Moscow's policy towards Armenia

Lobbying by the deputy chairman of Russia's State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Konstantin Zatulin, and similar persons does not meet interests of Moscow's policy toward Armenia, Political Innovation and Technology Center head Mubariz Ahmadoglu told Trend.

"In a period of Zatulin's lobbying, Armenia has chosen NATO as a strategic partner for itself. Removing the secrecy paragraph from the NATO's Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) with Armenia has revealed it," Ahmadoglu said.

Ahmadoglu said a consecutive reverence of Armenia, which has serious geopolitical and economic problems, to Turkey also falls to the period of Zatulin's lobbying. "Armenia has not been able to go over to Turkey only due to the principal steps taken by Azerbaijan," he said.

Ahmedoglu added that the Armenian leadership tried to withdraw the railway network and information technology from Russia's monopoly and sell to the western companies. The attempt failed after Russia's immediate intervention in this. In addition to the West, lobbying by Zatulin and similar Russian politicians also provided support to the anti-Russian actions proceeding from the diverse policy of the Armenian leadership.

"Compared to Zatulin's, the position of the Chairman of Russia's State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Alexei Ostrovsky, is incomparably close to Moscow's position over the issue. Sending a formal request to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Zatulin can get a response confirming that Russia has never recognized the Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent subject or as the territory of Armenia, and has no such plans. Both options are fundamentally contrary to the Russian Federation's official position. The Russian Federation has always recognized the Nagorno-Karabakh as an integral part of Azerbaijan. However, its reticence about this, is a fact," he said.

According to Ahmadoglu, a reason for Zatulin's gratitude to Armenians is clear.

"The matter is not the donations of the Armenian business people or Yerevan, or promotion of Zatulin's business interests in Armenia. If the Armenians did not established a basis of separatism in the former Soviet Union space, and also did not support the other processes directly causing the collapse of the Soviet community, relying on lobbying by politicians like Zatulin, no CIS or CIS Institute would exist today," he stressed.